Kansas baseball splits doubleheader with Missouri

Robby Price goes 5-for-5, drives in winning run in Game One

Robby Price blooped an RBI single over the shortstop's head in the bottom of the ninth inning, knocking in the winning run in Kansas University's 7-6 baseball victory over Missouri.

The win in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader was spoiled by a miserable performance in the second game, which Missouri won, 12-1. The second game was called after seven innings because of a get-away day 10-run mercy rule.

Sunday's action moved the Jayhawks to 30-24 overall and 9-15 in Big 12 Conference play. Missouri is now 34-17 and 13-11.

Price's fifth hit of the first game drove in Nick Faunce, who doubled off the wall with one out in the ninth. It ended a wild, back-and-forth game with an abundance of lead changes throughout the late innings.

Earlier, Faunce crushed a no-doubt home run in the seventh inning - two pitches after a Tony Thompson dinger - to give Kansas a 6-5 lead. But an RBI single by Missouri's Trevor Coleman in the eighth tied the game back up.

Kansas put two runners on in the bottom of the eighth but was unable to capitalize. However, KU stopper Paul Smyth shut down Mizzou in the top of the ninth inning, giving the Jayhawks another chance to win the game.

The second game wasn't nearly as dramatic. Mizzou scored in five different innings, helped by three Kansas errors and six Kansas walks.

The Jayhawks control their own destiny in reaching the Big 12 tournament. The cleanest scenario involves Kansas winning two out of three against Kansas State in a series that starts Friday at Hoglund Ballpark. The final two games are in Manhattan.